The Supreme Court has directed state governments and wetland authorities across India to physically verify and demarcate water bodies, stressing that courts cannot overlook the failure to protect these vital resources. A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Vipul M Pancholi observed that water bodies are precious resources as they serve as sources of drinking water, and that their protection falls within the ambit of the fundamental right to life guaranteed under the Constitution.
“This Court cannot remain a mere spectator or be unmindful of the consequences flowing from water bodies remaining unprotected,” the bench said.
To ensure effective protection, the court reiterated its directions to state governments and wetland authorities to conduct physical ground-truthing of water bodies wherever the exercise has not already been completed. The authorities have also been told to submit compliance affidavits detailing the methods and procedures adopted for the verification.
The bench initially considered requiring the affidavits within four weeks. However, senior advocate Shekhar Naphade argued that the physical verification process would be time-consuming and sought a more reasonable period of six to nine months. Acknowledging the extensive fieldwork involved and the need for coordination among various government departments, the court granted four months to complete the exercise.
The judges expressed concern that ground-truthing and demarcation of wetlands remained incomplete even nine years after the publication of the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules.
The proceedings arose from a public interest litigation filed by bird enthusiast Anand Arya, advocate M K Balakrishnan and the NGO Vanashakti, seeking stronger protection for wetlands and water bodies.
With the latest order, the top court has placed renewed emphasis on the need for state authorities to identify and demarcate water bodies on the ground rather than relying solely on records and mapping, a step it views as essential to ensuring their effective conservation across the country.
Original Source: https://nenow.in/national/supreme-court-says-unprotected-water-bodies-cannot-be-overlooked-orders-wetland-verification.html
Category: Environment,National,Top News
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Publish Date: 2026-10-24 19:35:00
